Means for preventing the unauthorized abstraction of the contents of savings-boxes, collecting-boxes, and the like.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

)NY NTQR,

' F. HOTTMANN.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE UNAUTHORIZED ABSTRAOTION OF THE ooNTENTs 0PSAVINGS BOXES, COLLECTING BOXES, AND THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1907.

Wvrness ES; Fauzomc HOTTM NH,

UNITED STATES PATEXT OFFTL E.

FRIEDRICH HOTTMAXX. OF HEILHRONN, GERMANY.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE UNAUTHORIZED ABSTRACTION OF THE CONTENTS OFSAVINGS-BOXES, COLLECTING-BOXES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Application filed June 25, 1907. Serial No. 380,836.

accompanyindrawing, and to the letters and figures 0 reference markedthereon.

' This invention relates to the safety devices of savings boxes, etc,and, in articular, the invention relates to the so-ca led householdsavin s boxes, collection boxes (ofiertories) and'tielike. Particularly,in families, for the urpose of training children to save, smal householdsavings boxes and banks have been in use, for accumulation and saving;of small amounts. Frequently, also, looked savings boxes are loaned outby savings banks, so that the smallest savings can be accumulated athome; the bank keeps the key to permit removal of the contents of thebox to be credited to the ac'count of.a depositor. with an admissionchannel or passage for coins and with an opening for inserting currency,were insufliciently secured against unauthorized abstraction of thesavings. Frequently the outlet of the coin passage has been visible atthe admission opening, making it possible toabstract coins and banknotes from the box,iby use of suitable implements. Furthermore, it hasusually been,

when introducing paper money or the like' into the prior savings-boxes,to roll themoney very tightly, as for this purpose only a circular inletopening was provided, and this, obviously, must be kept so small thatthe unauthorized abstraction of the smallest coin through this 0 cningwould be impossible. A further draw ack was found in the relativeposition of the inlet opening for coins and the opening for currency.The two openings have usually been situated diametrically to each other,so that by the introduction of very simple implements through the oneopening the abstraction of the contents of the box through the otheropening was possible.

The recited drawbacks are obviatedor at least reduced to a minimun1-bythe structures embodying the present invention. The coin admissionpassage has an inclined Such savings boxes, while provided or slantingbottom, so formed that introduced coins fall automatically into thesavings box, through a passage or opening not visible from the admissionopening. When these two openings are situated directly one above theother, a special angle flap (ad-- justable in its rotary action) isprovided, which also prevents the introduction of a thieving implementthrough the coin passage. The insertion opening for the currency orpaper money is, advantageously, arranged directly under the opening forcoins, and is of segmental or other curved shape, in such a manner thatthe bills need only to be folded, not to be rolled tightly.

In the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated, in conjunctionwith a home savings box provided with a ball lock.

Figure 1 is a side view of a home savings box, the coin passage withball lock being shown in vertical section; Fig. 2 is a front view of thesavingsbox; Fig. 3 is. a top view, with horizontal section through thecoin channel; Fig. 4 is a rearview of the box, showing a partial sectionacross the same; Fig. 5 shows the savings box upside down, in whichposition the exit of the coin passage is closed; and Fig. 6 shows a coinchannel with a fiat plate movably arranged above its angular bottom. 1

As seen in Fig. 1, the bottom of the coin inlet channel is angular andconsists of an upwardly rising part e connected to the slightly curvedcoin inlet opening (3 of the savings box, and a part f, extending fromor forming a continuation of the part c a sloping downwardly to therear. 551! part f is provided, at its rear or lower end, with a grooveor channel 9 which serves, in the usual manner, as a container for theballs is of the ball-closing device. The coin channel casing is closedat the rear by a vertical wall 72., the lower part of which, situatedover the balls k,'is bent oil obliquely inthe same-di-- rection as thebottom partf, and only leaves free a narrow channel 1. for the passageo'f-the coin, the height of this passage, however.

being so measured that the largest pieces of money, for instance, asilver dollar, may still pass through.

groove g, have such a position that the in- The balls is in the ball Xserted coins, when passing the part tot the channel pass above the ballswithout touch in the same.

nder the coin insertion opening 1: ol' the tremely difiicult.

savings boxes is a second segmental or curved slot d, for insertion offolded currency, bank. notes or the like.

that the smallest coin can not be abstracted,

The slot cl is so narrow through the slot, from the box, andahwithdrawal of paper money would only be etiected by tearing it topieces.

In the bottom of the box be secured by a lock, and the contents of thebox may be removed after opening this door. The casing of the box issuitably made "from steel and may,-if desired, also be-haroutlet openingi, in the coin-passage, can notbe seen from the admission opening a onaccount of the angular'bottom, so that the introduction of an implementfor the unauthorized abstraction of' money, etc., through the coin fattem ts are made to bring the coins into a positlon so that they may bemore conveniently reached by slant-' ing the box or setting it u sidedown (see Fig. 5), the usual extreme y movable ball lock enters intoaction at the least slant.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, a late m is pivotally arranged overthe anguar bottom e of the coin passage orl a pin],

which plate in the ordinary iosition rests 1n front on the part a of theottom and lies a a small door b, is arranged in the usual manner, whichcan not only to family or other savings assage is rendered ex-.

quite flush'with the lower edge of the insertion aperture 0. As soon asa coin is pushed throug the insertion aperture 0 and its center ofgravity haspassed beyond thep'ivot Z of the plate, the plate m tilts andits rear art .-rests on the rear part f 'Tof the bottom 0 the coinpassage, the upper part of the plate lymg flush with the passage '6 andthe coin slips t e through the passage i into the interior oi:

savings box. The arrangement of the plate m hasthe advantage that theextraction of.

coins through the coin-passage is rendered still more difficult, as anyinstrument for removing coins must have an extraordinarily complicatedform inorder to beable to be inserted through these apertures'into theinterior of the savings box. Anextraction of coins is entirely preventedby means of this coin passage.

The invention can, obviously, be applied etc., but; if required, also onletter-boxes, automatic vendin'g machines, etc; What I claim is: 5

whereof is not visible from the inlet opening, and said box having acurrency-inserting opening arranged underneath the coin'pas sage and ofsegmental shape and so located that the outlet of the aforesaid coinpassage is also not visible through said currency inserting opening.

In testimony whereof I afiix my'signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

FRIEDRICH HOTTMAN N.

Witnesses:

JEAN GULDEN, HERMANN HoPPE.

oxes,

. A savings box or the like, comprising a box having a coin passage, thebottom whereof;

is of angular shape so the outlet opening

